AFRICA SOUTH OF THE SAHARA

By Jack Garrity

Pages 510-514

Why study Africa’s geography?

Why study African Geography?

It is the second largest continent and has more than ¼ of the world’s fresh water, and makes most of the air we breath.

I has some of the most spectacular geography in the world.

It is has the most animals of any continent.

It supplies diamonds, uranium, and oil to the world.

The Land What physical processes shape the Africa’s

geography?

Landforms Africa south of the Sahara is a region of

step-like plateaus, rising to mountains and slashed in the east by a rift valley, which was formed by shifting tectonic plates.

Landforms Africa is the second biggest continent,

11,677,239 square miles total, 9.5 million below the Sahara.

Landforms The USA area is 3.80 million square miles.

Landforms The USA area is 3.80 million square miles.

The Great Rift Valley Goes from Syria to Mozambique.

The Great Rift Valley

The Great Rift Valley A rift valley is a large depression in the earth surface

made by moving plates.

The Great Rift Valley A rift valley is a large depression in the earth surface

made by moving plates.

The Great Rift Valley Volcanic Mountains

are on its edges.

The Great Rift Valley The most famous and tallest Kilimanjaro

Deep lakes on its west side.

The Great Rift Valley

Lake Taganyika is the longest and deepest lake in the world.

The Great Rift Valley

Lake Taganyika is the longest and 2nd deepest lake in the world.

The Great Rift Valley

418 miles long, 4,820 ft deep

Lake Taganyika is the longest and 2nd deepest lake in the world.

The Great Rift Valley

418 miles long, 4,820 ft deep

300 miles Las Vegas to Huntington Beach California/ Lake Taganyika 118 miles longer.

The Great Rift Valley

Mountains and Plateaus Most of Africa has plateaus that start at

500 feet in the West and rise to 8,000 feet in the east

Mountains and Plateaus Most of Africa has plateaus that start at

500 feet in the West and rise to 8,000 feet in the east

Mountains and Plateaus Most of Africa has plateaus that start at

500 feet in the West and rise to 8,000 feet in the east

Mountains and Plateaus Most of Africa has plateaus that start at

500 feet in the West and rise to 8,000 feet in the east

Mountains and Plateaus The edges end in escarpments within 20

miles of the coasts.

escarpment a long, steep slope, especially one at the

edge of a plateau or separating areas of land at different heights.

escarpa Pendiente o declive pronunciado de un

terreno:para subir esa escarpa se necesita un calzado adecuado.

Plano inclinado que forma la muralla de algunas fortificaciones.

Mountains and Plateaus Rivers crossing these escarpments make

spectacular cataracts.

cataract  A large or high waterfall.

Mountains and Plateaus Volcanic mountains dot the Eastern

Highlands.

Mountains and Plateaus

The

Mountains and Plateaus The Ruwenzori Mountains divide Uganda and

the DR of Congo.

Mountains and Plateaus Nicknamed “the mountains of the Moon”

Mountains and Plateaus Nicknamed “the mountains of the Moon”

Mountains and Plateaus The Drakensberg Mountains rise in South

Africa and end in the southern escapement edge of the continent.

Mountains and Plateaus The Drakensberg Mountains rise in South

Africa and end in the southern escapement edge of the continent.

Mountains and Plateaus The Drakensberg Mountains rise in South

Africa and end in the southern escapement edge of the continent.

Water Systems Landforms and physical processes have

influenced the region’s water systems, which include deep lakes, spectacular waterfalls, and great rivers.

Land of Lakes Lake Malawi, like Lake Tanganyika, follow

the Great Rift Valley.

Land of Lakes Lake Malawi, like Lake Tanganyika, follow

the Great Rift Valley.

Land of Lakes Lake Victoria (the source of the White Nile river)

is the largest lake in Africa, second largest in the world.

Land of Lakes Lake Victoria

Land of Lakes What is the largest lake in the world?

Land of Lakes What is the largest lake in the world?

Lake Superior USA

These lakes are important sources of food.

Land of Lakes Lake Chad is shrinking.

Land of Lakes Long periods of drought have made it

smaller.

Land of Lakes The water is evaporated by the hot sun and

seeps into the ground.

Land of Lakes Farmers use too much of its water and

global warming doesn’t help.

Land of Lakes The drought has caused desertification

of the area.

Desertification The land change from livable land to

desert.

la Desertificación consiste en una degradación persistente de los ecosistemas de las tierras secas producida por las variaciones climáticas y la actividad del hombre.

A Human-Made Lake Lake Volta is one of the largest human

made lakes in the world.

A Human-Made Lake Like Lake Mead, it makes electricity . It also

provides water for farmers in Ghana.

River Basins The Niger River (great river) runs for

2,600 miles.

River Basins It splits into a 150 mile delta at Aboh.

Delta A triangle shaped end or mouth of a river.

River Basins The Zambezi River runs 2,200 miles to

the Indian Ocean.

River Basins It has many cataracts or waterfalls.

River Basins The most famous Victoria Falls, which is

355 feet tall.

River Basins

River Basins The Congo River runs 2700 miles, the last

part an estuary 7 miles wide.

Estuary: a place where fresh and salt water meet.

River Basins Boats can use most parts of the Congo.

River Basins Boats can use most parts of the Congo.

River Basins But it does have waterfalls 900 feet tall

not far from the Atlantic Ocean.

Natural Resources Nigeria, Angola, Gaban, Congo and

Cameroon have oil.

Natural Resources South Africa has half the world’s gold and

a lot of uranium.

Natural Resources Diamonds and gems are found

throughout the southern part of the continent.

Climate and Vegetation In many places in Africa south of the Sahara,

water is such a precious resource that rain and life are on and the same.

Tropical Cimates The region’s location near the Equator

influences its climate.

Tropical Wet Warm temperatures with more than 60 inches

of rain a year. Las Vegas receives 4.19 inches of rain a year.

Tropical Wet It rains all year round, sometimes more

sometimes less.

Tropical Wet Shrubs, ferns, and mosses grow from 6-10

feet tall.

Tropical Wet Palms and trees 60 feet tall.

Tropical Wet Palms and trees 60 feet tall.

Tropical Wet Leafy trees up to 150 feet tall.

Tropical Wet Orchids and ferns grow everywhere.

Tropical Wet (Rainforest) HDTV.BBC.Planet.Earth.08of11.Jungles.720p.Xvid.Ac3.www.mvgroup.org.wmv

Tropical Wet Bananas, pineapples, cocoa, tea, coffee,

and cotton grow well.

Tropical Wet Farmers clearing land for those cash

crops threaten the rain forest.

Tropical Dry Tropical grasslands called Savanna cover

almost half of Africa.

Tropical Dry Tropical grasslands called Savanna cover

almost half of Africa.

Tropical Dry The African savanna has a relatively moderate

temperature with it not going over 86° F and not going under 68° F

Tropical Dry Savannas get 35-100 inches of rain a

year

Tropical Dry Savannas have a 6 month rainy season

and 6 months dry season.

During the wet season, May to November, the savanna receives a total of up to 100 inches of rain..

Tropical Dry Cool humid wind blows from the south

west.

Tropical Dry Hot dry winds called harmattan from the

Sahara blow south west.

Tropical Dry Tornados are formed when the two meet

sometimes.

Tropical Dry Tall grasses with some trees cover

Savannah.

Tropical Dry The Serengeti Plain has millions of

animals such as zebras, gazelles, lions, giraffes, and cheetahs.

Tropical Dry (Savannah) Serengeti D:\Vuze Downloads\BBC.Africa.2of6.Savannah.720p.HDTV.x264.AC3.MVGroup.org.mkv

Dry Climates Away from the Equator, tropical climates

fade to semi arid steppe then deserts.

Steppe Between tropical dry and desert climate.

Steppe The northern steppe is called the Sahel.

Steppe The Sahel gests 4-5 inches of rain a year in

June and July, which grows short grasses.

Desertification Over the past 50 years desertification has

dried out the Sahel.

Desertification Global warming and human land use do

not help.

Desertification People cutting down trees and big herds

of livestock help desertification.

Desertification By 2000, African countries joined the

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification to make laws to protect the environment.

Desert The Namib Desert

Desert The Kalahari desert.

Midlatitude Climates South Africa has a Mediterranean

climate.

Midlatitude Climates Like Morocco, South Africa has a Mediterranean

climate.

Midlatitude Climates Comfortable temperatures all year round.

Midlatitude Climates With enough rainfall for farming.

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